View Full Version : Sonus Faber Guarneri Homage; should I?
Good morning all!
I have the opportunity of acquiring the above speakers - late production model in mint condition - for a very attractive price. I had heard them back in 1998 and was impressed by their natural communicative abilities, looks and presentation - but, if I remember correctly, deep bass was rather non-existent. They would be used in my current system and in a 3 x 7.5 m room, on the lively side of things. I listen to most genres of music, across the board, with classic/prog rock and electronica being my favourites. Any input would be greatly appreciated, especially form current/former owners.
Cheers
J.
Deep bass will be missing from any speaker that size - such are the laws of physics.
Hi Mark,
Agreed, but would their other sonic attributes compensate, especially in the context of my smallish room? I would be looking for a natural and musical presentation.
hifi_dave
14-03-2014, 10:48
What they do, they do very well but not if you plan on banging out 'Prog' at high levels.
If you want a beautiful speaker for small works, solo voice, violin, guitar etc, they should do the job nicely.
As always, you should try them first.
Hi Mark,
Agreed, but would their other sonic attributes compensate, especially in the context of my smallish room? I would be looking for a natural and musical presentation.
John
I have had several SFs over the years. I currently have a pair of Grand Pianos and a pair of OBs.
They are certainly musical but I think you need to be clear what exactly you mean by natural - SFs are heavily voiced speakers and they have a sound like a musical instrument (more so than most other speakers) - if you like the voicing they will work for you, but if by natural you mean uncoloured or neutral, please look elsewhere.
At its simplest, I think it is fair to say that they are speakers for people who listen to the music rather than the equipment:)!
P
julesd68
14-03-2014, 14:06
Hi John,
How do you enjoy your Charios? I have owned three pairs of Charios and have heard, but not owned SF's. I would say that they are both quite similarly voiced in the "Italian" style, with a rich, expansive presentation where the midband is definitely the star, but slightly rolled off in the treble. I loved my Charios with classical music but ultimately found them a little too 'polite' with the 70's rock I listen to. I find my Tannoys do a more satisfying job than the Charios with both genres. If you are looking for a significantly different presenation to your Charios, then I think the SF's will probably not be your best bet IMO.
Spectral Morn
14-03-2014, 15:08
Heard these once in a system I knew quite well (Hovland Sapphire, matching pre, Einstein phono stage, Clearaudio Studiomaster) and I was somewhat underwhelmed by them, nice furniture though.
I am also not sure that your amplification is a good match sonically. Best to get a listen at home and then buy if they work for you.
Regards Neil
Thank you all for your input.
Julian, to be honest, I love the Chario - I think they are magnificent speakers and I'm very happy with them. The only problem is their relatively massive size, especially in my room. Things are perfectly fine up to a point but when I (occasionally) crank the volume up past the 11 o'clock the down firing woofers inevitably start to boom. The SF would be more of a "domestically acceptable" proposition. It's a size/room issue, not a speaker "voicing" one. If this doesn't work out, I will happily keep the Chario.
Heard these once in a system I knew quite well (Hovland Sapphire, matching pre, Einstein phono stage, Clearaudio Studiomaster) and I was somewhat underwhelmed by them, nice furniture though.
I am also not sure that your amplification is a good match sonically. Best to get a listen at home and then buy if they work for you.
Regards Neil
Hi Neil,
Problem is, I can't really test them with my system - it would be a blind buy. :eek:
Spectral Morn
14-03-2014, 20:14
Thank you all for your input.
Julian, to be honest, I love the Chario - I think they are magnificent speakers and I'm very happy with them. The only problem is their relatively massive size, especially in my room. Things are perfectly fine up to a point but when I (occasionally) crank the volume up past the 11 o'clock the down firing woofers inevitably start to boom. The SF would be more of a "domestically acceptable" proposition. It's a size/room issue, not a speaker "voicing" one. If this doesn't work out, I will happily keep the Chario.
Hi Neil,
Problem is, I can't really test them with my system - it would be a blind buy. :eek:
That's a shame - big risk and these need a fair bit of space to work right so don't be fooled by their relative bookshelf size.
Regards Neil
I did, finally, manage an audition of the Guarneri Homage and must agree that all views expressed in this thread were spot on. Magical and very communicative with the right material but by no means the all rounders I am looking for; I must agree with Neil that the experience was rather underwhelming any time I threw any heavier material at them - clearly not their forte. These are the kind of speakers I would love to own in 10 years time when perhaps my musical tastes might have changed. But certainly not now and not with the kind of music I enjoy.
I was fortunate enough to audition plenty of different speakers during a recent visit to Italy (and here in Greece). After owning floorstanders for the past decade or so, I must say that I was quite impressed at what well sorted monitors can do in conveying music, especially in the right room context. It was a really tough choice, as most speakers I listened to displayed a remarkable array of virtues (and few vices) but, in the end, it was a pair of Rosso Fiorentino Fiesole that did it best for me; and after listening to them in my room and with my system, I was absolutely smitten. I can honestly say that these are perhaps some of the best monitors I've ever heard - real stars.
I will be posting some pictures and further comments soon for anyone interested.
Cheers
J.
Looks aside, and they are beautifully crafted, the main thing for me was the extremely high stands, which 'lifted' vocals and the soundstage in general to something approaching real life. 'Course they weren't really worth the money unless your lifestyle and finances could afford them regardless, but as with all small boxes, a big amp is a necessity to help bring them to any form of 'life.'
By the way, 'monitors' are ANYTHING but beautiful :lol:
Looks aside, and they are beautifully crafted, the main thing for me was the extremely high stands, which 'lifted' vocals and the soundstage in general to something approaching real life. 'Course they weren't really worth the money unless your lifestyle and finances could afford them regardless, but as with all small boxes, a big amp is a necessity to help bring them to any form of 'life.'
By the way, 'monitors' are ANYTHING but beautiful :lol:
Wife thinks they're beautiful - heavens forbid I argue with that!:deceased:
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.3 Copyright © 2024 vBulletin Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.